Chapter 3 - Uninvited GuestsBy 8:45 a.m., the ceremonial defense room was filling up. Unlike standard defenses, which were quiet, academic affairs, Claire's defense had drawn a crowd. Her work on data manipulation detection in educational software had massive commercial applications, and several venture capitalists and tech scouts were seated in the back rows.
Among them, sitting in the third row with smug, self-satisfied expressions, were Daniel and Lorraine.
Daniel had changed into a tailored charcoal suit, looking every bit the supportive, successful husband. Lorraine wore a floral dress and a heavy layer of perfume, her eyes scanning the room like a hawk looking for prey. They believed they were here to witness a trainwreck. They believed Claire would walk in, humiliate herself with her butchered hair and missing notes, and flee back into their custody.
When Claire entered through the side door, a collective murmur ran through the room.
Lorraine’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second. She leaned over to Daniel and whispered something, her hand fluttering to her throat. Daniel’s eyes narrowed. He had expected tears, a wig, or a frantic cancellation. Instead, Claire looked like a modern-day Joan of Arc, clad in white armor, her shorn head emphasizing the sharp, elegant lines of her jaw and the cold fire in her eyes.
She did not look at them. She walked straight to the presenter’s podium, plugged in her laptop, and began her setup.
Behind Daniel and Lorraine, the heavy oak doors of the auditorium opened once more. A tall, imposing man in a bespoke navy suit walked in. His hair was silver, his posture commanding, and his presence immediately shifted the gravity of the room.
It was Raymond Vance—no, not Vance. Raymond Sterling. Claire's father.
May you like
He did not sit with the public. He walked to the very front row, sat down, and folded his hands over his silver-topped cane. When his eyes met Claire's, he gave her a single, slow nod.
The battle lines were drawn.
